Fashion: Mille Collines Blending Trend and Tradition

Mille Collines [Rwanda]

An eclectic design style seeking to blend trend and tradition to create timeless creations defines Kigali based fashion label, Mille Collines. Mille Collines was launched when Spanish designers Marc and Inés left Barcelona, Spain for Kigali, Rwanda in 2006. Valuing heritage, workmanship and ethics in the fast pace of the ever-changing fashion world, the pair were drawn to the diversity and rich handicraft traditions of Rwanda and sought to bring together local tailors and artisans to develop a brand that reflected the vision. 

Production focuses on high quality craftsmanship through handmade finishings and attention to detail. Mille Collines works with different handicraft teams based around the country, with each team workshop established to specialise in a specific handicraft technique including: raffia, embroidery, leather and horn. 

Mille Collines’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection saw chic easy-to-wear pieces accentuated with strategically placed detailing and embellishment to add interest. A Mille Collines store is located in Kigali, with the recent addition of one in Nairobi, Kenya bringing their brand of contemporary stylishness to East African fashionistas.